Why ‘Predators’ is the Most Overlooked Gem in the Predator Franchise!

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In contrast to the first Predator film boasting the highest number of future Governors (Arnold Schwarzenegger from California and Jesse Ventura from Minnesota), the 2010 movie Predators holds the distinction of featuring the most Oscar winners. Adrien Brody, who won Best Actor twice, first for The Pianist in 2002 and then for The Brutalist in 2024, is one such winner. Mahershala Ali, another laureate, clinched Best Supporting Actor awards for Moonlight in 2017 and Green Book in 2019. Additionally, Walton Goggins, known for Fallout and The White Lotus, was part of the winning team for the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film, The Accountant, where he both produced and starred.

The influence of Oscar wins doesn’t end with Laurence Fishburne being nominated for Best Actor for his performance in the Tina Turner biopic “What’s Love Got to Do with It”. Furthermore, many other stars mentioned earlier have been part of multiple other films that were also well-received by the Oscars. For example, Alice Braga was in “City of God”, while Topher Grace appeared in “Traffic”, “Interstellar”, and “BlacKkKlansman”. It’s intriguing to ponder how a movie about battling alien creatures with mandibles managed to attract such talented actors to navigate through a perilous space jungle.

What Makes Predators a More-Than-Worthy Entry in the Canon?

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Although some people enjoy “Predator 2”, it’s not nearly as good as John McTiernan’s original, falling short in tone and overall quality. Compared to McTiernan’s film, “Predators” is still below par, but it gets closer. As for the tone, it maintains a consistent continuation from the original. Fundamentally, the movie revolves around soldiers struggling to survive against an enigmatic danger that can outmatch them in firepower and cunning. However, “Predators” introduces a few unique elements to differentiate itself from the classic featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger.

To begin with, there’s the initial scene where Royce, an ex-U.S. Special Operations Forces veteran, is seen plummeting through what appears to be Earth’s atmosphere. Upon landing, they discover that others have also gone through the same ordeal. After a brief moment of suspicion and shouting, they recognize their differences but also a common trait – they are all lethal individuals. Moreover, many of them possess extensive combat experience, having numerous kills and near-death experiences to their names.

Regardless of their origins, ranging from America to Israel, Russia, Mexico, Japan, and Africa, each character embodies a distinct cause: Royce represents the U.S., Braga’s Isabelle defends Israel, Oleg Taktarov’s Nikolai stands for Russia, Danny Trejo’s Cuchillo fights for the Los Zetas cartel, Louis Ozawa Changchien’s Hanzo aligns with the Yakuza, and Ali’s Mombasa supports the Revolutionary United Front in Sierra Leone. The exceptions are Goggins’ Stans, a death row inmate awaiting execution, and Grace’s Edwin, a doctor who appears to be out of context among them all.

In a surprising turn of events, they discover that not only are they not on Earth, but they’re on an alien hunting ground designed for them to be hunted. They’ve been meticulously chosen for this game. This revelation offers a fascinating twist in multiple ways. The original film’s crew had a strong bond, but making the team diverse adds fuel to the existing tension. To add more intrigue, the third act reveals that Edwin is a serial killer. In doing so, ‘Predators’ manages to stand alone as a new installment while retaining the appealing aspects of the original film’s narrative DNA.

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Despite its merits, the movie isn’t flawless. Though it tackles diversity, many characters appear rather uninteresting. Moreover, the actors Trejo, Ali, and Fishburne (portraying Noland, a U.S. Army Air Cavalry soldier who has survived on the planet for ten years through hunting cycles) are not utilized to their full potential. Additionally, it’s questionable whether Adrien Brody’s casting as a replacement for Arnold Schwarzenegger was a wise choice. After all, Heath Ledger successfully filled big shoes in The Dark Knight, but Brody stepping into Schwarzenegger’s role is another story.

In my opinion, it wasn’t until I encountered Dan Trachtenberg’s “Prey” that the original “Predator” finally received a continuation, or more accurately, a chronological predecessor, which could truly stand shoulder to shoulder with its exceptional treatment of the action genre. However, “Predators” is still an exhilarating experience, and I must admit it surpasses the disappointing 2018 release, “The Predator,” which seemed to have suffered from issues during its production.

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2025-03-23 03:11